Recipe: Italian Meringue Buttercream

the appetizer:

Zombie Cupcakes: From the Grave to the Table with 16 Cupcake Corpses by Zilly Rosen, includes recipes like Brain Food; Skeletal Zombies; Knives; Royal Icing; and Italian Meringue Buttercream.

Italian Meringue Buttercream

Makes enough to cover 12 to 14 cupcakes

1 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
6 large egg whites
1-1/2 cups (12 oz/3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into small pieces
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Flavors

Chocolate: 3 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
Caramel: 2 tbsp dulce de leche and 1/8 tsp salt
Coffee: 1 tbsp instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tsp boiling water
Amaretto: 1/2 to 1 tsp almond extract
Coconut: 1 tsp coconut extract and 1 tbsp coconut milk

1. Put the sugar and water in a large saucepan and stir together. Bring to a rolling boil on high heat, then boil undisturbed for 5 minutes.

2. Allow the sugar mixture to continue boiling while you put the egg whites in the bowl of a large freestanding electric mixer and beat on high until stiff.

3. Continuing to beat on high, carefully hold the pan with the sugar syrup well above the bowl and slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites in a thin stream, without allowing it to touch the beater

4. Continue to beat the egg white mixture on high for 10 minutes or until cool.

5. With the machine still running, add the pieces of butter and mix until combined.

6. Reduce the speed to low, add the vanilla extract and salt, and continue to mix until combined.

7. To flavor the buttercream, add the ingredients for your chosen flavor at the end of mixing.

8. Store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 weeks or in small amounts in the freezer for up to 3 months. Before use, return to room temperature and then beat until smooth and the texture is restored.